BlackBerry 10 smartphones will not be released in Japan

BlackBerry will stop selling smartphones in Japan, partly because the company cannot justify the cost of modifying its operating system to accommodate the Japanese language, the Nikkei business daily reported.

BlackBerry’s market share in Japan has shrunk to 0.3% from 5%, the daily said.

BlackBerry could not be immediately reached for comment.

The company, which changed its name from Research In Motion when it launched its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones a week ago, will continue to offer support to existing users, the Nikkei said.

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“Japan is not a major market for BlackBerry and we have no plans to launch BlackBerry 10 devices there at this time. However, we will continue to support BlackBerry customers in Japan,” Nick Manning, BlackBerry’s global corporate communications manager said in an email.

“We are in the process of launching BlackBerry 10 globally in key markets and we are seeing positive demand for the BlackBerry Z10 in countries where it has already launched.”